Here's Your First Look at the Much-Anticipated Museum of Science Fiction

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Here's Your First Look at the Much-Anticipated Museum of Science Fiction

Plenty of museums have hosted science fiction exhibits, but sci-fi fans have never enjoyed what Greg Viggiano calls "a comprehensive science-fiction museum." But just wait. It's coming.
Viggiano wants to create the sci-fi museum we've all wanted; he's the executive director of the Museum of Science Fiction, which is slated to open in downtown Washington, D.C. in 2017. The museum promises to be completely amazing, offering a dizzying array of characters, props and other awesomeness from Star Trek, Dune and the novels of Isaac Asimov to name just a few. There's also plans for a life-size replica of H.G. Wells' time machine and a 1:10 scale model of the Nautilusfrom Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Head curator Phil Smith gave us some exclusive renderings so we can peek inside.
Can't wait until 2017? No problem. The museum board's recent Indiegogo campaign will help finance the creation of a preview museum slated to open in 2015 so sci-fi fans (and prospective donors) can get a glimpse of what's coming.
The board is considering nine locations in downtown Washington for the preview museum, which will cover some 3,000 square feet — the full museum will be 15 times larger -- feature a life-size Tardis and a scale model of the Enterprise.
The preview museum is expected to cost as much as $800,000 to assemble. A crowdfunding campaign has raised just $37,000 of its $160,000 goal so far, but Viggiano says it raised awareness and public engagement and most of the funding will come from donors. At this point, the biggest wildcard is finding a suitable location.
"We don't think there's anything that could really run [production] off the rails, based on what we've tracked and the risk mitigation," says Viggiano. "The only thing that would cause some degree of concern would be the time it takes to find the suitable space."

The "Aliens and Altered Life" Gallery
One of seven galleries slated for the final Museum of Science Fiction, the Aliens and Altered Life gallery will feature representations of extraterrestrial and futuristic beings in literature and film including E.T., Alien, and Avatar.

H.G. Wells' Time Machine
A rendering by chief curator Phil Smith of the time machine from H.G. Wells' classic The Time Machine, which will be recreated as a full-scale model based on the descriptions in the novel (rather than the 1960 and 2002 films) and put on display in the Time Travels gallery in the Museum of Science Fiction.

The Repository
The Repository will house major works of science fiction literature (like Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and Larry Niven's Ringworld) alongside interactive digital components like films, scores, and the scientific research that inspired the works. The museum staff tell WIRED that components like film clips and real-time user discussions will take place through installed Google Glass set-ups and guests' smartphones.

Proposed Atrium, Main Museum
A sketch of the proposed entry atrium of the larger Museum of Science Fiction. A reproduction of an attacking alien tripod from H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds will loom above guests entering the museum (space permitting).

Jules Verne's Home Study
A rendering of Jules Verne's study in his home in Amiens, France (where the author wrote his classics), to be recreated in the Creators gallery.

Jules Verne's Nautilus, 1:10 Replica
The gargantuan, lavish underwater torpedo-mobile from Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, seen here in a rendering created by chief curator Phil Smith, will be recreated at 1:10 scale with a cutaway section will be housed in the Vehicles Gallery.

Greg Bear's Thistledown (From The Way series), 1:1,000,000 Replica
A 3.2-meter model of the Thistledown, the terraformed starship from Greg Bear's novel Eon (the first of his The Way trilogy). A model will be on display in the museum's Other Worlds gallery, and tie in modern-day research about asteroid habitability being done by NASA and commercial space interests.

Entrance Lobby/Lounge Area
This rendering of a proposed common area of the main Museum of Science Fiction depicts screens running around the ceiling that display moderated, real-time discussions about the museum's many interactive exhibits (see: the Repository room).

Tars Tarkas, Jeddak of Tharks (Full-Scale Replica)
A full-scale replica of Tars Tarkas, the compassionate king of the Green Martian warriors in Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom series (better known now – thanks, Taylor Kitsch – as John Carter of Mars) is planned for display in the Aliens and Altered Life gallery.

An Interactive Robot From the Foundation Series, Full-Scale Replica
A to-scale replica of R. Daneel Olivaw, the android from Isaac Asimov's highly influential, seven-book Foundation series about time travel and an alternate universe. The interactive model, which will be displayed in the main museum's Computers and Robots gallery, and will be used to explore technical and ethical questions about artificial intelligence.

Stillsuit From Dune, Full-Scale Replica
This recreation of the stillsuit worn to protect against the harsh climates of the planet Arrakis from Frank Herbert's classic Dune series, will be located in the Technology gallery and used to discuss the development of off-Earth technologies.